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The Basilisk Throne
For centuries those on the Basilisk Throne have ruled every continent, brutally enslaving the human inhabitants. But now, after endless wars, the three human empires of Ophion, Velesa, and Modjal have pushed the inhuman Drehhu back to their heartland and are united in one final, massive assault to defeat them forever. It’s been tried before, but the infernal weapons and dark magic of the Drehhu have always triumphed. Basilisk has never fallen.
Commanding his merchant fleet in support of the human forces, Alastor Nevelon and his son Crespin set sail against the enemy—and this time they have their own secret weapons. The Drehhu, however, do not have a monopoly on deceit. or ambition. Alistor is forced to send his daughter Chrysanthe to the capitol city Ophion Magne as a "token" of his loyalty. He does so freely, for he is certain of treachery within the very empire he serves. After all, whomever controls the Basilisk Throne can control the world. He instructs Chrysanthe to use her considerable intellect to discover whatever plots may be afoot in the heart of Ophion. Chrysanthe agrees, knowing that in doing so she enters a dangerous place where courtly manners hide murderous intentions.
While nations collide and the conflict explodes, the true key to defeating the Drehhu may lie in a remote mountain stronghold, a wild rogue known as Hound, and Ammolite, the young slave of a sorcerer more ancient than any nation and whose true loyalties are entirely unknown.
Commanding his merchant fleet in support of the human forces, Alastor Nevelon and his son Crespin set sail against the enemy—and this time they have their own secret weapons. The Drehhu, however, do not have a monopoly on deceit. or ambition. Alistor is forced to send his daughter Chrysanthe to the capitol city Ophion Magne as a "token" of his loyalty. He does so freely, for he is certain of treachery within the very empire he serves. After all, whomever controls the Basilisk Throne can control the world. He instructs Chrysanthe to use her considerable intellect to discover whatever plots may be afoot in the heart of Ophion. Chrysanthe agrees, knowing that in doing so she enters a dangerous place where courtly manners hide murderous intentions.
While nations collide and the conflict explodes, the true key to defeating the Drehhu may lie in a remote mountain stronghold, a wild rogue known as Hound, and Ammolite, the young slave of a sorcerer more ancient than any nation and whose true loyalties are entirely unknown.
512 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 2022
23 people are currently reading
756 people want to read
About the author
Greg Keyes
84 books653 followersGregory Keyes is a writer of science fiction and fantasy who has written both original and media-related novels under both the names J. Gregory Keyes and "Greg Keyes".
Greg Keyes was born in to a large, diverse, storytelling family. He received degrees in anthropology from Mississippi State and the University of Georgia before becoming a fulltime writer.
He lives in Savannah, Georgia.
Greg Keyes was born in to a large, diverse, storytelling family. He received degrees in anthropology from Mississippi State and the University of Georgia before becoming a fulltime writer.
He lives in Savannah, Georgia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
May 15, 2023
Actual Rating 3.5
TW: Sexual Harassment, Rape
There are three human empires that have been subjugated by the inhuman Drehhu who rule from the Basilisk Throne. Crespin finds himself sailing with a fleet slated to attack the Drehhu head on in hopes of damaging their power. Chrysanthe is sent by her father as a “guest” to the capital city where she is supposed to spy for him while being held hostage. Ammolite is a slave to a powerful sorcerer who finds herself swept up in a quest that may spell the end of the war. Their stories converge as humans struggle against their overlords and each other, hoping to emerge victorious against the Basilisk Throne.
The worldbuilding in this book is astounding. There were so many different cultures, environments, and people introduced into the book that were all unique and fascinating. This story was told from multiple POVs (four, I believe). These characters came from different backgrounds, empires, and cultures. The breadth of this world was well incorporated, and the author was able to convey details of the world without relying on info dumping. I think the characters suffered a bit from this though, as they weren’t easy to relate to and weren't as engaging as I'd hope. It was a lot to take in at first, but as the book continued, it was completely immersive. I also enjoyed the political intrigue that was incorporated into the plot, which added a whole new level of complexity.
Sometimes you can just tell that books are written by men. This is one of those cases. While there were thankfully several female characters in the work (and some of which actually had agency), they spent a lot of page time being sexualized by the male characters around them. I get that this is necessary sometimes to show just how difficult/dangerous the setting can be for the female characters. But there were two characters whose interactions almost solely consisted of the male asking, “Can I sleep with you yet?” and the woman still not being interested in the slightest. We get it, let’s move on. And there was a lot of misogyny – again, I don’t mind this in books because it is a part of life and can create some meaningful dialogue and conflict. But when it’s included in a work so casually, and the “heroes” are also grossly misogynistic and constantly sexualizing women without any repercussions or pushback, that’s when it starts detracting from my enjoyment.
I listened to the audiobook version of this work and the narrator did a fantastic job. However, this is the kind of book that you need to be able to refer to a map while reading. Many chapters began with a date, and since my memory isn't stellar, I couldn't remember the previous dates, how they related to each other, and had no easy way to refer back to the dates.
This was an epic fantasy read that was highly enjoyable despite the few issues I had with it. My thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
TW: Sexual Harassment, Rape
There are three human empires that have been subjugated by the inhuman Drehhu who rule from the Basilisk Throne. Crespin finds himself sailing with a fleet slated to attack the Drehhu head on in hopes of damaging their power. Chrysanthe is sent by her father as a “guest” to the capital city where she is supposed to spy for him while being held hostage. Ammolite is a slave to a powerful sorcerer who finds herself swept up in a quest that may spell the end of the war. Their stories converge as humans struggle against their overlords and each other, hoping to emerge victorious against the Basilisk Throne.
The worldbuilding in this book is astounding. There were so many different cultures, environments, and people introduced into the book that were all unique and fascinating. This story was told from multiple POVs (four, I believe). These characters came from different backgrounds, empires, and cultures. The breadth of this world was well incorporated, and the author was able to convey details of the world without relying on info dumping. I think the characters suffered a bit from this though, as they weren’t easy to relate to and weren't as engaging as I'd hope. It was a lot to take in at first, but as the book continued, it was completely immersive. I also enjoyed the political intrigue that was incorporated into the plot, which added a whole new level of complexity.
Sometimes you can just tell that books are written by men. This is one of those cases. While there were thankfully several female characters in the work (and some of which actually had agency), they spent a lot of page time being sexualized by the male characters around them. I get that this is necessary sometimes to show just how difficult/dangerous the setting can be for the female characters. But there were two characters whose interactions almost solely consisted of the male asking, “Can I sleep with you yet?” and the woman still not being interested in the slightest. We get it, let’s move on. And there was a lot of misogyny – again, I don’t mind this in books because it is a part of life and can create some meaningful dialogue and conflict. But when it’s included in a work so casually, and the “heroes” are also grossly misogynistic and constantly sexualizing women without any repercussions or pushback, that’s when it starts detracting from my enjoyment.
I listened to the audiobook version of this work and the narrator did a fantastic job. However, this is the kind of book that you need to be able to refer to a map while reading. Many chapters began with a date, and since my memory isn't stellar, I couldn't remember the previous dates, how they related to each other, and had no easy way to refer back to the dates.
This was an epic fantasy read that was highly enjoyable despite the few issues I had with it. My thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
June 1, 2023
4.0 Stars
Video Review: https://youtu.be/b3tb9fc_qTE
This was a solid piece of debut fantasy that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It had an incredibly strong start, giving me A Song of Ice and Fire vibes. The rest of the story was good, but I felt it fell a little short of it's potential. The characters would be good, but certain characters were lacking in development. That being said, I still had a great time reading this one. I usually don't love the action parts of epic fantasy but those scenes were so exciting and vivid that they completely pulled me in.
I look forward to reading the next book in this series. I would highly recommend this epic fantasy stories to readers looking for a new, slightly gritty, story filled with action and intrigue.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Video Review: https://youtu.be/b3tb9fc_qTE
This was a solid piece of debut fantasy that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It had an incredibly strong start, giving me A Song of Ice and Fire vibes. The rest of the story was good, but I felt it fell a little short of it's potential. The characters would be good, but certain characters were lacking in development. That being said, I still had a great time reading this one. I usually don't love the action parts of epic fantasy but those scenes were so exciting and vivid that they completely pulled me in.
I look forward to reading the next book in this series. I would highly recommend this epic fantasy stories to readers looking for a new, slightly gritty, story filled with action and intrigue.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
June 26, 2024
Битката за Базилиск се води в традициите на доброто, старо, епично фентъзи, в което се промъква и нотка романтика, и поне десетократно повече нотки драма, като липсват нелепите глезотии на романтъзитата. Нещо, наподобяващо любимите ми Робин Хоб и Гай Гавриел Кай.
В свят, пресечен от тайнствена, смъртоносна стена от мъгла флотът на три човешки империи се устремява хищно към столицата на технологично напреднала, загадъчна, нечовешка раса, наричана дреху. Имаме си морски битки, тайнствени стари градове, магьоснически орден и малко дворцови интриги.
Всеки от основните герои е ясно отличим, богат и своеобразен, на фона на цяла пъстра тълпа второстепенни, за които искаш да научиш много повече. Робиня на магьосник, син на морски капитан, неговата сестра, изпратена като заложница в Базилиск, и един доста странен бъдещ магьосник. Нито един не е ангел, но и нито един не е отвъд психиатричната червена линия (все още, но действително имат потенциал). Всички се борят с наложените им житейски реалности както могат, без авторът да изпада в захлас.
Кийс се е постарал с непредвидимостта и резултатите са отлични. Това, което не ми достигна, е повече светостроене (дреху и Базилиск останаха неясни), както и краят да не беше толкова изпрепускан и отворен. Засега книгата се води самостоятелна, но ще е срамота, предвид разхвърляните из последните страници кукички и намеци, да не се оформи в трилогия. Заглавието няма голяма стойност като самостоятелна книга, а като начало на поредица, но пък какво начало!
3,5⭐️
May 17, 2023
A new author for me and what a read. This was fantasy but on another level. I loved the way this author gently introduced the reader into this world. Full of great characters, plenty of magic, intrigue and battles on the high seas. Great story telling and very descriptive world building. I devoured this book in one sitting and would really like the next book now PLEASE!!!!
January 18, 2024
This was fantastic and I hope that there's a second book because I really want to find out what happens with everyone. The world building was great but I need more of an explanation as to what/who the strixes are and why they can ooze yellow stuff, etc just from the strigas (which seemed to be a herb?)-I want to delve into their world a bit more.
January 1, 2024
This book baffles me. These characters are having more random sex scenes than exist in an entire season of Euphoria, but I don't buy a single connection as genuine. The worldbuilding is painstaking in the most minute details, but fails to incorporate plot-defining aspects of the world (the titular Basilisk Throne is only mentioned a handful of times, I still don't know what it is or why it's important, except something something trade something something war). The action scenes are supposed to be tense and thrilling, but I'm not convinced enough to worry for the characters.
I don't know. I resented how most of the women were written. I'm not sure a single one has a conversation with another that isn't about a man or about sex. It's hard to enjoy the male characters when all but the single gay man in the story behave like dogs at best and are actual rapists at worst. The plot seemed... threadbare, to put it kindly. I don't think it's a good sign when one of your main characters has to provide 4 pages of exposition to her sister so that the reader understands why any of this is happening or matters in the first place.
There were individual aspects about it I liked. I didn't downright hate it, if only because all of the LGBT+ characters survived, which is admittedly rare in the kind of book this is. It floats on the periphery of Game of Thrones and any Brandon Sanderson book. I wouldn't really recommend it, but it's not a book I'd outright warn people away from, either. Just know what you're getting into ahead of time.
I don't know. I resented how most of the women were written. I'm not sure a single one has a conversation with another that isn't about a man or about sex. It's hard to enjoy the male characters when all but the single gay man in the story behave like dogs at best and are actual rapists at worst. The plot seemed... threadbare, to put it kindly. I don't think it's a good sign when one of your main characters has to provide 4 pages of exposition to her sister so that the reader understands why any of this is happening or matters in the first place.
There were individual aspects about it I liked. I didn't downright hate it, if only because all of the LGBT+ characters survived, which is admittedly rare in the kind of book this is. It floats on the periphery of Game of Thrones and any Brandon Sanderson book. I wouldn't really recommend it, but it's not a book I'd outright warn people away from, either. Just know what you're getting into ahead of time.
February 5, 2024
I thought this book would be your standard western fantasy and nothing realy special. Surprisingly it was not.
The world and characters were very diverse, culturally, racial and sexually. Mesembria, the home of two of the protagonists reads a bit like africa or the caribbean. And when Chrysanthe, one of the protagonists, is send to the french-like hearth of the empire, it's quite a culture shock.
The worldbuilding itself was fantastic! Several cultures, magic, religion, regions and secrets. All well build. I liked that the author used French as an inspiration and how he let some things in the dark, especially with the magic. His names felt matching for his world, but at some points he should just have used our words to not make it too much.
Plot-wise it meshes the classic good-against evil hero journey with modern politic tropes and a lot of sex.
The two male protagonist esentially banged or wanted to bang every important woman they came across. And while Crespin at least wisened up a bit after a (very cool) lover of him talked some sense into him, Bracke was just a immature jerk. If you look at his upbringing it's kinda understandable but still, as cool as his skills are, the author should have toned him down.
Ammolit, poor, poor Ammolit. Abused and ra*** by a creepy old wizard, kept captive in his castle. I loved her POV. While it is quite enraging, reading about her suffering, her strenght and growth is amazing. That said, she still has a lot of trauma, it seems she is not aware of, if you read the spoiler, you know what I mean.
Chysanthe was very enjoyable to read. As mentioned the culture clash worked really well and her being new at court was a good way to convey informations to the reader. It also had the most enjoyable supporting characters of all POVs. But the spy part wasn't that good, maybe if it was a bit longer it could have been worked out more and thus be overall better.
Homosexuality and Bisexuality is mentioned throughout the book but is never really acted upon and felt more like a fig leaf.
I liked the book. No it will not make it into my favourites and it also wasn't a objective masterpiece I dare to say. But it entertained me a lot and managed to get a grip on me, a few pages into it, I wanted to read and read and read. The worldbuilding was also amazing, there are some secrets and plots in the background I would like to explore.
The world and characters were very diverse, culturally, racial and sexually. Mesembria, the home of two of the protagonists reads a bit like africa or the caribbean. And when Chrysanthe, one of the protagonists, is send to the french-like hearth of the empire, it's quite a culture shock.
The worldbuilding itself was fantastic! Several cultures, magic, religion, regions and secrets. All well build. I liked that the author used French as an inspiration and how he let some things in the dark, especially with the magic. His names felt matching for his world, but at some points he should just have used our words to not make it too much.
Plot-wise it meshes the classic good-against evil hero journey with modern politic tropes and a lot of sex.
The two male protagonist esentially banged or wanted to bang every important woman they came across. And while Crespin at least wisened up a bit after a (very cool) lover of him talked some sense into him, Bracke was just a immature jerk. If you look at his upbringing it's kinda understandable but still, as cool as his skills are, the author should have toned him down.
Ammolit, poor, poor Ammolit. Abused and ra*** by a creepy old wizard, kept captive in his castle. I loved her POV. While it is quite enraging, reading about her suffering, her strenght and growth is amazing. That said, she still has a lot of trauma, it seems she is not aware of, if you read the spoiler, you know what I mean.
Chysanthe was very enjoyable to read. As mentioned the culture clash worked really well and her being new at court was a good way to convey informations to the reader. It also had the most enjoyable supporting characters of all POVs. But the spy part wasn't that good, maybe if it was a bit longer it could have been worked out more and thus be overall better.
Homosexuality and Bisexuality is mentioned throughout the book but is never really acted upon and felt more like a fig leaf.
I liked the book. No it will not make it into my favourites and it also wasn't a objective masterpiece I dare to say. But it entertained me a lot and managed to get a grip on me, a few pages into it, I wanted to read and read and read. The worldbuilding was also amazing, there are some secrets and plots in the background I would like to explore.
April 4, 2023
Filled with sorcerers, dark magic and wars for the throne and power in treacherous water is this fantasy tale.
The book is surely a page-turner but it does take its sweet time with plot building. Once you are through with that, the parallel tale being narrated makes more sense. It does have a lot of its storyline around attacks, fighting and wars - so keep that in check while you read it. A queer thing however is that a major portion of the story is set around fleets on water which reminds me a lot of Pirates of Caribbean.
If like me you to are in a mood read a lot of fantasies, you can surely add this to your TBR.
Genre: #fantasy #epicfantasy @adult
Rating: 4/5 star ⭐️
Thank you @netgalley @gregkeyes1 @titanbooks for the wonderful ARC
#TheBasiliskThrone #NetGalley
The book is surely a page-turner but it does take its sweet time with plot building. Once you are through with that, the parallel tale being narrated makes more sense. It does have a lot of its storyline around attacks, fighting and wars - so keep that in check while you read it. A queer thing however is that a major portion of the story is set around fleets on water which reminds me a lot of Pirates of Caribbean.
If like me you to are in a mood read a lot of fantasies, you can surely add this to your TBR.
Genre: #fantasy #epicfantasy @adult
Rating: 4/5 star ⭐️
Thank you @netgalley @gregkeyes1 @titanbooks for the wonderful ARC
#TheBasiliskThrone #NetGalley
April 13, 2023
Three empires join forces against the Drehhu, the strange nation that has enslaved humans and terrified countries, and we are invited to join on the last stretch of this war. We follow cereal people and are introduced to this most amazing world by the eyes of several characters from nobility to magic users and others in between.
A compelling narrative, interesting and well rounded characters, lots of action, magic that feels new and unknown and a world full of mysteries are just some of the good points of this book.
Do not sleep on this one! “The Basilisk Throne” is the first installment of a series that has everything to be the next big fantasy hit!
And the audiobook was greatly enriched by the voice of John Skelley.
A compelling narrative, interesting and well rounded characters, lots of action, magic that feels new and unknown and a world full of mysteries are just some of the good points of this book.
Do not sleep on this one! “The Basilisk Throne” is the first installment of a series that has everything to be the next big fantasy hit!
And the audiobook was greatly enriched by the voice of John Skelley.
February 28, 2024
This book failed in grabbing my attention pretty much from the beginning and I can't quite figure about why. The premise sounded interesting enough, but still it didn't work for me. If you ask me what the book was actually about I wouldn't be able to answer. The only thing I can remember about this book was how incredibly horny it was. No thanks. This one goes in the bin.
July 21, 2022
I read this book in about 24 hours and think it's terrific, but I do need to post a content warning for it, for mass casualty events and repeated rape. The introduction and chapter 1 are very dark. Then it gets mostly lighter for the rest of the book until the end. It's . . . not as dark as the dark parts of the Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin, but it can get pretty dark.
That said: Yes, this is book 1 of a series. There's something of a cliffhanger, but there's also something of a resolution. We're not talking Picard-as-a-Borg here.
There are stylistic hints of many previous series here, including Kingdoms of Thorn & Bone, Age of Unreason, Children of the Changeling, and Fool Wolf. (Greg Keyes, what is it with you and volcanoes?) There is some French court-ish stuff, there is a bit of fencing, there are waves of portal migration, there is a character who is basically Native/Indigenous (although his continent is not called America). There has obviously been buckets full of effort poured into the worldbuilding here, and it's fascinating. I have not figured out all the implied etymologies of the introduced words yet, and there's tons of them. *happy face*
Okay, plot. There are pretty much three basic plotlines, and we eventually find out all the ways they interconnect. One thead (or two threads?) involves the Nevelon family in the Ophion empire, and mostly centers around Crysante, who becomes a hostage/spy at court, and her brother Crespin, who's in the navy. The three human empires are fighting the Drehhu, a nonhuman species with advanced magic and tech who had previously enslaved the world but have now been driven back to a single territory.
There is also a young man named Hound, who hangs out in the forest with his crow friend Soot and his beloved dog Rose. A nearby village of European-ish people have been harassing him, so he has been harassing them back, when some foreigners show up and want to hire him as a guide. The female foreigner is very pretty, and going somewhere might be interesting, so he agrees. They go on a trip on horses and on foot and have various adventures, but the people who hired him won't tell Hound what they want to do with whatever they find when they get to their requested destination.
There is also a young woman named Ammolite, who was sold as a child slave to the sorceror Veulkh. Keyes has realized the rather horrible consequence of magical shapeshifting being possible, that if you have an unethical and very obsessive person who has lost their partner/spouse, they can imprison someone, make them into a physical duplicate of their dead wife, and keep them inside their Evil Sorceror fortress for a decade or more until other people track down the sorceror and try to hire him to do magic.
This is a very fast read. It has a lot of dark stuff, but it's not graphic. (Just kind of disturbing.) The plot has lots of layers on intrigue and, as I said, the worldbuilding is beautiful. I really want to find out where this series goes.
Disclaimer: I received a free digital review copy from the publisher.
That said: Yes, this is book 1 of a series. There's something of a cliffhanger, but there's also something of a resolution. We're not talking Picard-as-a-Borg here.
There are stylistic hints of many previous series here, including Kingdoms of Thorn & Bone, Age of Unreason, Children of the Changeling, and Fool Wolf. (Greg Keyes, what is it with you and volcanoes?) There is some French court-ish stuff, there is a bit of fencing, there are waves of portal migration, there is a character who is basically Native/Indigenous (although his continent is not called America). There has obviously been buckets full of effort poured into the worldbuilding here, and it's fascinating. I have not figured out all the implied etymologies of the introduced words yet, and there's tons of them. *happy face*
Okay, plot. There are pretty much three basic plotlines, and we eventually find out all the ways they interconnect. One thead (or two threads?) involves the Nevelon family in the Ophion empire, and mostly centers around Crysante, who becomes a hostage/spy at court, and her brother Crespin, who's in the navy. The three human empires are fighting the Drehhu, a nonhuman species with advanced magic and tech who had previously enslaved the world but have now been driven back to a single territory.
There is also a young man named Hound, who hangs out in the forest with his crow friend Soot and his beloved dog Rose. A nearby village of European-ish people have been harassing him, so he has been harassing them back, when some foreigners show up and want to hire him as a guide. The female foreigner is very pretty, and going somewhere might be interesting, so he agrees. They go on a trip on horses and on foot and have various adventures, but the people who hired him won't tell Hound what they want to do with whatever they find when they get to their requested destination.
There is also a young woman named Ammolite, who was sold as a child slave to the sorceror Veulkh. Keyes has realized the rather horrible consequence of magical shapeshifting being possible, that if you have an unethical and very obsessive person who has lost their partner/spouse, they can imprison someone, make them into a physical duplicate of their dead wife, and keep them inside their Evil Sorceror fortress for a decade or more until other people track down the sorceror and try to hire him to do magic.
This is a very fast read. It has a lot of dark stuff, but it's not graphic. (Just kind of disturbing.) The plot has lots of layers on intrigue and, as I said, the worldbuilding is beautiful. I really want to find out where this series goes.
Disclaimer: I received a free digital review copy from the publisher.
October 7, 2024
„Господар и командир“ се среща с „Игра на тронове“ и „Карибски пирати“ - глупости на търкалета!!! 😂😄😂
Ако тази книга напомняше поне мъничко, на което и да било от посочените на корицата произведения щеше да има поне искрица в нея. Уви, толкова много скука, досада и протяжност бяха събрани на нейните страници!
Отделно ужасно ситния шрифт и почти пълна липса на пряка реч и диалози правеха четенето убийствено. Не веднъж се борех със себе си да я зарежа, а как успях все пак да я прочета и аз не знам. Направо се удивлявам от себе си и собствената си глупост.
Отделно в самата история се вниква много трудно. До половината на книгата, все още не знаех какво се случва и кой какъв е и за какво се бори. Но не по онзи тайнствен и мистериозен начин, когато се чудиш какво ще се случи, а точно обратното - с някакво безразличие. Дори вече от един момент нататък не ме интересуваше съдбата на героите, кой ще живее и кой ще мре, просто исках да свърши.
Единствените нищожни лъчи интерес проблясваха само в главите за Крисанта, която трябваше да разгадае една мистерия в двор от пепелянки. Тя бе изпратена в столицата от баща си като гарант, че той "ще се държи прилично" докато предвожда флотилия към завладяването на трона на Базилиск. И макар дори там да имаше някакъв намек за интригата, тя бе слаба и това, а което научи Крисанта да ми бе също напълно безразлично, четях с по-голямо въодушевление главите за нея, за разлика от всички други.
В крайна сметка историята свърши доста наивно и навява на мисълта, че авторът може да реши да напише продължение, но аз си научих урока и със сигурност няма да си го причиня повторно ако наистина се появи такова. Давам на книгата 1,5*, които ще закръгля към 2, само защото все пак я довърших и си аплодирам упоритостта (и глупостта, отново подчертавам)!
Ако тази книга напомняше поне мъничко, на което и да било от посочените на корицата произведения щеше да има поне искрица в нея. Уви, толкова много скука, досада и протяжност бяха събрани на нейните страници!
Отделно ужасно ситния шрифт и почти пълна липса на пряка реч и диалози правеха четенето убийствено. Не веднъж се борех със себе си да я зарежа, а как успях все пак да я прочета и аз не знам. Направо се удивлявам от себе си и собствената си глупост.
Отделно в самата история се вниква много трудно. До половината на книгата, все още не знаех какво се случва и кой какъв е и за какво се бори. Но не по онзи тайнствен и мистериозен начин, когато се чудиш какво ще се случи, а точно обратното - с някакво безразличие. Дори вече от един момент нататък не ме интересуваше съдбата на героите, кой ще живее и кой ще мре, просто исках да свърши.
Единствените нищожни лъчи интерес проблясваха само в главите за Крисанта, която трябваше да разгадае една мистерия в двор от пепелянки. Тя бе изпратена в столицата от баща си като гарант, че той "ще се държи прилично" докато предвожда флотилия към завладяването на трона на Базилиск. И макар дори там да имаше някакъв намек за интригата, тя бе слаба и това, а което научи Крисанта да ми бе също напълно безразлично, четях с по-голямо въодушевление главите за нея, за разлика от всички други.
В крайна сметка историята свърши доста наивно и навява на мисълта, че авторът може да реши да напише продължение, но аз си научих урока и със сигурност няма да си го причиня повторно ако наистина се появи такова. Давам на книгата 1,5*, които ще закръгля към 2, само защото все пак я довърших и си аплодирам упоритостта (и глупостта, отново подчертавам)!
April 19, 2023
"The Basilisk Throne" was a rather captivating read! The world-building in this book is very interesting, with a lot of rather minute details that paint a vivid picture. The characters are also well-developed and their motivations and actions feel authentic and relatable. The writing style is engaging and flows smoothly, making it easy to get lost in the story. This story has multiple POVs but I never found myself wishing to hurry through one to get to another. They were all rather well balanced.
One of the aspects that stood out to me was the complex political intrigue and the power struggles that were at the center of the plot. It kept me guessing and invested in the outcome until the very end. The magic system in the book was also unique and well thought out, adding an extra layer of depth to the story.
Though the pacing can be slow at times, I found that it allowed for more time to fully immerse myself in the world and get to know the characters. Overall, "The Basilisk Throne" is a good addition to any fantasy lover's bookshelf, and I highly recommend it.
One of the aspects that stood out to me was the complex political intrigue and the power struggles that were at the center of the plot. It kept me guessing and invested in the outcome until the very end. The magic system in the book was also unique and well thought out, adding an extra layer of depth to the story.
Though the pacing can be slow at times, I found that it allowed for more time to fully immerse myself in the world and get to know the characters. Overall, "The Basilisk Throne" is a good addition to any fantasy lover's bookshelf, and I highly recommend it.
May 28, 2024
An engaging story, but a confusing plot that leads you wondering who everybody is and what regions have significance. The world the author tries to build is WAY too big for one book. The ending made little sense and was unsatisfying.
April 14, 2025
Complex political intrigue mixed with everything that makes fantasy exciting, and an ending that drives you into the arms of the next book in the series.
June 3, 2023
No map? Every epic fantasy novel requires a map of the imaginary landscape in the opening pages! The lack of a map is the only mistake Keyes made in The Basilisk Throne, which is clearly the first book in a series (there is nothing on the cover or on websites stating that The Basilisk Throne is part of series, but the ending clearly indicates that Keyes intends to add further volumes to this tale). Everything else in the book is terrific, Keyes does an excellent job constructing a world with empires and magic and filled with interesting characters embarking on dangerous journeys. Sometimes a palace ballroom is more dangerous than a fleet engagement on the high seas - on the bounding main, you at least know who your enemy is - its that magically powered Drehhu ship over there, the one that spouts flaming weapons that have a greater range than anything your own ship possesses.
On this world, there are three human empires: Ophion, Velesa, and Modjal. For centuries the humans have been subjugated by the cruel Drehhu, enslaved and brutalized. But a shadowy, powerful group called the Cryptarchia has managed to get the three empires to combine their resources, and the tide of war has turned in humanity's favor (though victories are won at a fearful cost of human lives). The Drehhu have been pushed back across the sea, until they are confined to a glittering island of the Basilisk Throne. The Cryptarchia instruct the empires to gather their combined fleets for an all out assault on the Drehhu stronghold.
This book follows the adventures of four main characters; all are embroiled in the Drehhu war in various ways, each has special challenges to face, with dangerous opponents and long odds.
Chrysanthe Nevelon is a brilliant young woman, with an analytical mind and a fearless personality. She is the daughter of Admiral Nevelon, who is leading the fleet of supply ships that will carry arms, food and sundries to the fighting ships. To ensure Admiral Nevelon's loyalty, Chrysanthe is sent to the Ophion emperor's court. Of course, the court is a roiling snake pit of plots and conspiracies. As a "provincial", Chrysanthe knows that she cannot trust anyone; everyone she meets has their own agenda. A wrong step by Chrysanthe could lead to the loss of the emperor's favor, which in turn could mean that the Nevelon lands would be stripped away and awarded to someone else. I thought Keyes did excellent plotting and characterization to describe Chrysanthe's obstacles, and duplicitous aristocrats that she meets at the heart of the Ophion empire.
The second character is Chrysanthe's brother, Crespin. Though he would like to be on a battleship, Crespin has been tapped to sail with his father, Admiral Nevelon, in the supply fleet. Naturally, the shifting fortunes of war result in Crespin seeing far more action than he ever imagined a supply fleet would encounter.
Ammolite is a young woman imprisoned in a vast magical stronghold. She is in the manse of Veulkh, an ageless and powerful sorcerer. Veulkh has no humanity, he uses Ammolite to serve his pleasure, even using spells that change Ammolite's appearance so that she looks like a long-deceased woman named Orra. Otherwise, Veulkh has no use for Ammolite; she wanders the corridors and rooms of the palace, finding laboratories, libraries, bedrooms and all manner of bizarre treasures piled in storerooms, but she never finds an exit from the magical palace. The servants all shun her. Determined to escape, Ammolite tries to study Veulkh's spell books, but he possesses knowledge and skills far beyond her own.
The fourth character is Hound, a wild-child, raised by his "grandmother" in the woods - a carefree spirit, unbothered by civilization and its codes and politics. Hound does as he pleases, and he has unique capabilities that allow him to escape the occasional wrath of the minor nobles who live near the boundaries of his forest. Hound is deadly with a sling or axe, quick in a fight, skilled in all forms of woodcraft. Hound has a pet raven and giant ferocious dog named "Rose" who accompany him on his adventure. One day, a band of travelers come to Grandmother's cave - they have heard of Hound's abilities and wish to hire him as a guide. But treasure means nothing to Hound, why should he agree to guide them? Perhaps Martin and Selene can convince Hound to lead them...
Keyes switches back and forth between these four main story arcs. Despite the huge cast of characters, I never had difficulty remembering who was who. Each story arc is an interesting tale in its own right. The world building is excellent; Keyes has imagined some unique magical abilities, particularly the strixes - woman with gold colored eyes who maybe able to match the magic spells of the Drehhu. The action rarely flags, the pacing is brisk. This is the first book by Keyes that I have read, I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
On this world, there are three human empires: Ophion, Velesa, and Modjal. For centuries the humans have been subjugated by the cruel Drehhu, enslaved and brutalized. But a shadowy, powerful group called the Cryptarchia has managed to get the three empires to combine their resources, and the tide of war has turned in humanity's favor (though victories are won at a fearful cost of human lives). The Drehhu have been pushed back across the sea, until they are confined to a glittering island of the Basilisk Throne. The Cryptarchia instruct the empires to gather their combined fleets for an all out assault on the Drehhu stronghold.
This book follows the adventures of four main characters; all are embroiled in the Drehhu war in various ways, each has special challenges to face, with dangerous opponents and long odds.
Chrysanthe Nevelon is a brilliant young woman, with an analytical mind and a fearless personality. She is the daughter of Admiral Nevelon, who is leading the fleet of supply ships that will carry arms, food and sundries to the fighting ships. To ensure Admiral Nevelon's loyalty, Chrysanthe is sent to the Ophion emperor's court. Of course, the court is a roiling snake pit of plots and conspiracies. As a "provincial", Chrysanthe knows that she cannot trust anyone; everyone she meets has their own agenda. A wrong step by Chrysanthe could lead to the loss of the emperor's favor, which in turn could mean that the Nevelon lands would be stripped away and awarded to someone else. I thought Keyes did excellent plotting and characterization to describe Chrysanthe's obstacles, and duplicitous aristocrats that she meets at the heart of the Ophion empire.
The second character is Chrysanthe's brother, Crespin. Though he would like to be on a battleship, Crespin has been tapped to sail with his father, Admiral Nevelon, in the supply fleet. Naturally, the shifting fortunes of war result in Crespin seeing far more action than he ever imagined a supply fleet would encounter.
Ammolite is a young woman imprisoned in a vast magical stronghold. She is in the manse of Veulkh, an ageless and powerful sorcerer. Veulkh has no humanity, he uses Ammolite to serve his pleasure, even using spells that change Ammolite's appearance so that she looks like a long-deceased woman named Orra. Otherwise, Veulkh has no use for Ammolite; she wanders the corridors and rooms of the palace, finding laboratories, libraries, bedrooms and all manner of bizarre treasures piled in storerooms, but she never finds an exit from the magical palace. The servants all shun her. Determined to escape, Ammolite tries to study Veulkh's spell books, but he possesses knowledge and skills far beyond her own.
The fourth character is Hound, a wild-child, raised by his "grandmother" in the woods - a carefree spirit, unbothered by civilization and its codes and politics. Hound does as he pleases, and he has unique capabilities that allow him to escape the occasional wrath of the minor nobles who live near the boundaries of his forest. Hound is deadly with a sling or axe, quick in a fight, skilled in all forms of woodcraft. Hound has a pet raven and giant ferocious dog named "Rose" who accompany him on his adventure. One day, a band of travelers come to Grandmother's cave - they have heard of Hound's abilities and wish to hire him as a guide. But treasure means nothing to Hound, why should he agree to guide them? Perhaps Martin and Selene can convince Hound to lead them...
Keyes switches back and forth between these four main story arcs. Despite the huge cast of characters, I never had difficulty remembering who was who. Each story arc is an interesting tale in its own right. The world building is excellent; Keyes has imagined some unique magical abilities, particularly the strixes - woman with gold colored eyes who maybe able to match the magic spells of the Drehhu. The action rarely flags, the pacing is brisk. This is the first book by Keyes that I have read, I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
June 2, 2024
7 / 10 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...
For centuries, the inhuman Drehhu have ruled the world from atop the Basilisk Throne, enslaving and repressing humanity with their superior weaponry and tactics. But now, at long last, the three Empires of ‘men have united against them. And pushed into Drehhu lands, risking everything on the outcome of one massive battle.
Commander of the combined merchant fleet, Alastor Nevelon and his son Crespin sail into battle amidst the strength of over a hundred ships. But their strength is a ruse, for their true secret weapon lies at its heart, hidden from enemy eyes. Meanwhile, Crespin’s sister arrives as a hostage at her emperor’s court—insurance against her father’s loyalties. Here she is confronted by intrigue and scheming, the likes of which she could never have imagined, much less survived. Only she must survive now, for there is more at stake than just her own life.
In the wilds, a rogue known only as Hound has teamed up with a group of Chevaliers on a desperate mission—only one he’s not privy to. Their goal: to seduce a powerful sorcerer into doing their bidding, though none of them could’ve envisioned just how powerful he’d be—nor that the girl who rode at his side could prove the key to everything.
—
My main problem with this was the Drehhu. For an eternal enemy that has brutally enslaved humanity for countless generations, I really would’ve expected a bit more about them. Like… well, something. Instead, we’re presented with just this: “the Drehhu are terrible, and they’ve never been defeated”. Until, just a bit into the story they are defeated. Literally the first time we’ve seen them in battle, and they’ve already lost. They’re barely described in the text at all. Basically, the entire setup is a lie. Or, at best, lazy?
Probably lazy, as that pretty much describes the world-building. There are two main languages used here: and they’re English and French. One empire—I honestly can’t remember which—is basically just historically French, with all the terms applied. The third is basically Spanish, with their ranks and hierarchy. Not that these are well-explained. We just kind of figure it out over time. I get that the author doesn’t want to bog the reader down with info-dumps, and I get why—with this story, keeping the pace up is key—but it just makes everything else (the world, the lore) come off as lazy.
Now, from this beginning, I kinda expected my review to end here with a DNF and a warning to stay away. Problem is, the plot is actually, um, really good? I mean, it’s amazingly well told, all things considered. Three out of the four characters think with their dicks (well, I guess Ammolite technically thinks with her clit, but it’s the same general “who can I bang first” approach). Chrysanthe is the one breath of fresh air, but sadly she’s just not very cunning. Putting her in court to soak up intrigue is an interesting choice, as she has no talent for it. Smarter than her brother Crespin, though, who’s just an idiot.
But no.
Despite ALL this, the story rolls right along, through intrigue and plots and counterplots, sex and sex and more sex, violence and war, sorcery and adventure and so much more. Despite how little I related with any of the characters, despite how dumb a good half of them were, how carnal three were, and how uninspired yet another half were, I would still recommend checking this one out. There’s a really good story here, though it might take you a bit to get invested in. It might take looking past the lazy world-building and lazier setup. It might take you longer to make peace with the idiotic and sex-addled characters. But should you look past all of that, there’s a tremendous tale lurking within, just waiting to be let out.
TL;DR
A conflicted series starter, The Basilisk Throne begins with what is surely just lazy world-building and mixes it with stupid, annoying characters. Despite this, not only did I finish it, but now I’m prepared to recommend it to you. Honestly, even I’m a bit surprised by this. But despite my many initial and last caveats, the story is an excellent one. One I got swept up in despite not relating with nor caring much for any of our four main leads. It’s Game of Thrones-esque, but without quite as much blood. Fortunately the author just replaced that with more sex.
Audio Note: For as many caveats as I had about this one, real credit must be given to John Skelley for bringing this one to life. Just like how a bad narrator can kill a good book, a good narrator can make up for just about anything. I’m even down to continue the series, providing Skelley returns to read it.
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...
For centuries, the inhuman Drehhu have ruled the world from atop the Basilisk Throne, enslaving and repressing humanity with their superior weaponry and tactics. But now, at long last, the three Empires of ‘men have united against them. And pushed into Drehhu lands, risking everything on the outcome of one massive battle.
Commander of the combined merchant fleet, Alastor Nevelon and his son Crespin sail into battle amidst the strength of over a hundred ships. But their strength is a ruse, for their true secret weapon lies at its heart, hidden from enemy eyes. Meanwhile, Crespin’s sister arrives as a hostage at her emperor’s court—insurance against her father’s loyalties. Here she is confronted by intrigue and scheming, the likes of which she could never have imagined, much less survived. Only she must survive now, for there is more at stake than just her own life.
In the wilds, a rogue known only as Hound has teamed up with a group of Chevaliers on a desperate mission—only one he’s not privy to. Their goal: to seduce a powerful sorcerer into doing their bidding, though none of them could’ve envisioned just how powerful he’d be—nor that the girl who rode at his side could prove the key to everything.
—
My main problem with this was the Drehhu. For an eternal enemy that has brutally enslaved humanity for countless generations, I really would’ve expected a bit more about them. Like… well, something. Instead, we’re presented with just this: “the Drehhu are terrible, and they’ve never been defeated”. Until, just a bit into the story they are defeated. Literally the first time we’ve seen them in battle, and they’ve already lost. They’re barely described in the text at all. Basically, the entire setup is a lie. Or, at best, lazy?
Probably lazy, as that pretty much describes the world-building. There are two main languages used here: and they’re English and French. One empire—I honestly can’t remember which—is basically just historically French, with all the terms applied. The third is basically Spanish, with their ranks and hierarchy. Not that these are well-explained. We just kind of figure it out over time. I get that the author doesn’t want to bog the reader down with info-dumps, and I get why—with this story, keeping the pace up is key—but it just makes everything else (the world, the lore) come off as lazy.
Now, from this beginning, I kinda expected my review to end here with a DNF and a warning to stay away. Problem is, the plot is actually, um, really good? I mean, it’s amazingly well told, all things considered. Three out of the four characters think with their dicks (well, I guess Ammolite technically thinks with her clit, but it’s the same general “who can I bang first” approach). Chrysanthe is the one breath of fresh air, but sadly she’s just not very cunning. Putting her in court to soak up intrigue is an interesting choice, as she has no talent for it. Smarter than her brother Crespin, though, who’s just an idiot.
But no.
Despite ALL this, the story rolls right along, through intrigue and plots and counterplots, sex and sex and more sex, violence and war, sorcery and adventure and so much more. Despite how little I related with any of the characters, despite how dumb a good half of them were, how carnal three were, and how uninspired yet another half were, I would still recommend checking this one out. There’s a really good story here, though it might take you a bit to get invested in. It might take looking past the lazy world-building and lazier setup. It might take you longer to make peace with the idiotic and sex-addled characters. But should you look past all of that, there’s a tremendous tale lurking within, just waiting to be let out.
TL;DR
A conflicted series starter, The Basilisk Throne begins with what is surely just lazy world-building and mixes it with stupid, annoying characters. Despite this, not only did I finish it, but now I’m prepared to recommend it to you. Honestly, even I’m a bit surprised by this. But despite my many initial and last caveats, the story is an excellent one. One I got swept up in despite not relating with nor caring much for any of our four main leads. It’s Game of Thrones-esque, but without quite as much blood. Fortunately the author just replaced that with more sex.
Audio Note: For as many caveats as I had about this one, real credit must be given to John Skelley for bringing this one to life. Just like how a bad narrator can kill a good book, a good narrator can make up for just about anything. I’m even down to continue the series, providing Skelley returns to read it.
May 15, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
This is a piece of high fantasy that incorporates three simultaneous viewpoints and stories. Merchant sailed Alastor Nevelon and his son Crespin are tasked to ser sail against the Drehuu by their emperor. Alastor is forced to send his beloved daughter Chrysanthe to the capitol city to be a political hostage and ensure he does what the emperor asks of him. He instructs her to not only keep her family’s reputation in tact, but also spy for him to find out who is really behind this war.
Simultaneously Hound is a boy who was born and raised in the wild. He is innocent to the politics of the empires of the world. Ammolite is a shape shifting girl who was sold to an extremely old sorcerer when she was a baby. Together the two of them uncover secrets about that sorcerer’s power.
The story in this book is unique, and compelling. However I feel that Keyes tries to do too much in one book. All of the plot lines interconnect, but it doesn’t become clear as to how until the last third of the book. There is too much exposition and world building. It is almost as if he has tried to do too much and then has to wrap it up in a bow at the end, which comes much too quickly and hastily. There are many questions that don’t get answered and symbolism that doesn’t make sense. For example, the book is called The Basilisk Throne which is the throne of the Drehuu city that the navy is trying to capture. But we really never see much of that city, or the Drehuu themselves. Keyes has built them up to be this big bad mysterious group of people with lots of dark magic. But we don’t get to know really anything about them. Its almost as if he has set this up for there to be a sequel but I have no idea if he is in fact writing one. I’m honestly not sure if/when it comes out I’ll be reading it. I certainly won’t be in a huge hurry to compared with some of the other sequels and fantasy books that I am excited for.
For all it’s bads there are also a lot of goods with this book. The plot, world, and characters are very unique. He also has a lot of fluidity in gender and sexuality but in a very lowkey way. He’s built that into the world so it doesn’t seem out of place or like he is trying to make a statement but rather that it just fits and you don’t really even notice it. It’s not a big deal. I found that very refreshing.
Overall it’s a very unique book that I was able to get through rather quickly but there was just almost too much going on with it. I don’t find myself to be really in love with or attached to any of the characters. We just don’t get enough time with any of them.
This is a piece of high fantasy that incorporates three simultaneous viewpoints and stories. Merchant sailed Alastor Nevelon and his son Crespin are tasked to ser sail against the Drehuu by their emperor. Alastor is forced to send his beloved daughter Chrysanthe to the capitol city to be a political hostage and ensure he does what the emperor asks of him. He instructs her to not only keep her family’s reputation in tact, but also spy for him to find out who is really behind this war.
Simultaneously Hound is a boy who was born and raised in the wild. He is innocent to the politics of the empires of the world. Ammolite is a shape shifting girl who was sold to an extremely old sorcerer when she was a baby. Together the two of them uncover secrets about that sorcerer’s power.
The story in this book is unique, and compelling. However I feel that Keyes tries to do too much in one book. All of the plot lines interconnect, but it doesn’t become clear as to how until the last third of the book. There is too much exposition and world building. It is almost as if he has tried to do too much and then has to wrap it up in a bow at the end, which comes much too quickly and hastily. There are many questions that don’t get answered and symbolism that doesn’t make sense. For example, the book is called The Basilisk Throne which is the throne of the Drehuu city that the navy is trying to capture. But we really never see much of that city, or the Drehuu themselves. Keyes has built them up to be this big bad mysterious group of people with lots of dark magic. But we don’t get to know really anything about them. Its almost as if he has set this up for there to be a sequel but I have no idea if he is in fact writing one. I’m honestly not sure if/when it comes out I’ll be reading it. I certainly won’t be in a huge hurry to compared with some of the other sequels and fantasy books that I am excited for.
For all it’s bads there are also a lot of goods with this book. The plot, world, and characters are very unique. He also has a lot of fluidity in gender and sexuality but in a very lowkey way. He’s built that into the world so it doesn’t seem out of place or like he is trying to make a statement but rather that it just fits and you don’t really even notice it. It’s not a big deal. I found that very refreshing.
Overall it’s a very unique book that I was able to get through rather quickly but there was just almost too much going on with it. I don’t find myself to be really in love with or attached to any of the characters. We just don’t get enough time with any of them.
January 18, 2024
Once you realize that the author is not accidentally misspelling French words, the story inside The Basilisk Throne becomes riveting. The intrigue and suspense from Chrysanthe's POV, the magic and adventure from Hound's POV, and the battle scenes and action from Crespin's POV all join together to create an exciting tale. I quite enjoyed the world-building after I got past the French misunderstanding, but I do wish there was a little bit more exposition about certain things. Keyes gives made-up, French-based names to many things, and he doesn't always explain what they are until he's mentioned it about 10 times. If that doesn't bother you, I highly recommend giving this book a read.
The reason why I gave it 3.5 Stars: (spoilers ahead)
The title and the story inside the book don't really have much in common. There is precious little time spent talking about the point of the Basilisk Throne, and for a book called, "The Basilisk Throne," you'd think there would be more questions answered. I for one, was left wondering the following
- What is the Basilisk Throne important?
- How come the Basilisk Throne controls the world?
- Is the Basilisk Throne magic?
Either way, there's less than 5 minutes of talk about the Basilisk throne, and the battle for the throne also takes no time at all. Apparently all of the Drehhu are dead?? And it didn't take much time at all, but according to the world building these guys are hulking monsters (with not much of a description) who are super hard to kill. And like I said, Keyes never actually says why the humans need to get control of the Throne. I was left wondering what the point of the battle was, because the Drehhu definitely didn't control the world or the humans, they just seemed to be a war-hungry race who attacked human ships and took human slaves. It never says that they kill any human they come across, or that they eat them or anything crazy, so why do the humans need to control the Basilisk Throne? I probably will read the second book when it comes out, because I need answers. But if the title wasn't a complete diversion, I probably wouldn't be so confused.
The reason why I gave it 3.5 Stars: (spoilers ahead)
The title and the story inside the book don't really have much in common. There is precious little time spent talking about the point of the Basilisk Throne, and for a book called, "The Basilisk Throne," you'd think there would be more questions answered. I for one, was left wondering the following
- What is the Basilisk Throne important?
- How come the Basilisk Throne controls the world?
- Is the Basilisk Throne magic?
Either way, there's less than 5 minutes of talk about the Basilisk throne, and the battle for the throne also takes no time at all. Apparently all of the Drehhu are dead?? And it didn't take much time at all, but according to the world building these guys are hulking monsters (with not much of a description) who are super hard to kill. And like I said, Keyes never actually says why the humans need to get control of the Throne. I was left wondering what the point of the battle was, because the Drehhu definitely didn't control the world or the humans, they just seemed to be a war-hungry race who attacked human ships and took human slaves. It never says that they kill any human they come across, or that they eat them or anything crazy, so why do the humans need to control the Basilisk Throne? I probably will read the second book when it comes out, because I need answers. But if the title wasn't a complete diversion, I probably wouldn't be so confused.
April 11, 2023
The Basilisk Throne is a great dark fantasy novel that kept me engaged from start to finish, a great read for anyone that enjoys high fantasy with a bit of grit. Be warned - while not as dark as something like Prince of Thorns, this novel does feature some very disturbing themes including repeated rape and slavery, albeit thankfully not described in excessive detail. I will DNF books for being too descriptive/fixated on physical intimacy and didn't feel the urge to do so here.
The story follows a cast of characters across roughly 3-4 distinct storylines - there's a nautical war adventure, a young woman trapped in a castle, a country girl navigating the intricacies of court life, and a call to a mysterious quest. The storylines remain largely separate for the bulk of the book, but eventually converge and everything seems to fall into place right at the finish. This was the highlight of the book - each of the plotlines kept me engaged and wanting to know what happened next, despite having no idea how they fit together for an incredibly long time.
The characters are all interesting and distinct from each other, but feel a bit too on the nose at times - they are all very predictable, and often repetitive. I didn't find any of the characters particularly irritating, but I also didn't find any overly relatable either. Without giving too much away, I felt that the plot twist at the end with a certain minor character was entirely contrived, and unnecessary, and the way the topic was foreshadowed earlier in the book completely broke my suspension of disbelief. I think the character twist could have worked well with more subtle hints or foreshadowing, but it was set up very poorly - my neck still aches from the whiplash I got due to how fast the tone of the book shifted from dark fantasy to cheesy parody. I was tempted to drop to 3 stars as a result, but ultimately the (audio)book kept me entertained through 15+ hours of driving so I figured I should give a bit of slack - consider my 4 stars a rounded-up 3.5.
The story follows a cast of characters across roughly 3-4 distinct storylines - there's a nautical war adventure, a young woman trapped in a castle, a country girl navigating the intricacies of court life, and a call to a mysterious quest. The storylines remain largely separate for the bulk of the book, but eventually converge and everything seems to fall into place right at the finish. This was the highlight of the book - each of the plotlines kept me engaged and wanting to know what happened next, despite having no idea how they fit together for an incredibly long time.
The characters are all interesting and distinct from each other, but feel a bit too on the nose at times - they are all very predictable, and often repetitive. I didn't find any of the characters particularly irritating, but I also didn't find any overly relatable either. Without giving too much away, I felt that the plot twist at the end with a certain minor character was entirely contrived, and unnecessary, and the way the topic was foreshadowed earlier in the book completely broke my suspension of disbelief. I think the character twist could have worked well with more subtle hints or foreshadowing, but it was set up very poorly - my neck still aches from the whiplash I got due to how fast the tone of the book shifted from dark fantasy to cheesy parody. I was tempted to drop to 3 stars as a result, but ultimately the (audio)book kept me entertained through 15+ hours of driving so I figured I should give a bit of slack - consider my 4 stars a rounded-up 3.5.
April 8, 2023
Read this book if you enjoy epic fantasy, closed door romance, and LGBTQ friendly literature.
Trigger warning: rape/forced sexual acts
High Seas naval combat, shapeshifting sorcery, magical potions, interfering apparitions, and cunning coups collide in this fast-paced epic fantasy.
An admiral and his son fight at sea against an evil kingdom of demonic peoples for the sake of their empire. The admiral’s perceptive daughter must uncover a plot to overthrow multiple governments while navigating the rigorous demands of proper comportment in high society. An ancient sorcerer’s naïve, abused prisoner and her semi-feral rescuer must best ancient wizards and other opposition or face certain death. Their stories collide in a magically induced cataclysmic event that could destroy them all.
The audiobook is narrated by John Kelley. He has a lively, pleasant voice and reads for all characters. He consistently changes his voice enough so that it is easy to distinguish between characters during dialogue and follow the storyline. He is also very talented at matching speaking style with character traits. Conceit, nervousness, and bluntness are all relayed effectively through the narration.
Full of fantastic battles, scheming, and adventure, this fantasy does not disappoint. Readers will be charmed by the intriguing characters, romantic entanglements, and witty dialogue. Utilizing multiple, alternating POV, the first-rate writing invokes stunning scenery and makes the reader feel like they are in the midst of every adventure. However, be prepared that there are a few unanswered questions at the conclusion of the novel, presumably to lay the groundwork for another book. All in all, this is a must read story that truly allows you to immerse yourself in another world and leaves you wanting more. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Thank you NetGalley, Titan Books and Greg Keyes for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Trigger warning: rape/forced sexual acts
High Seas naval combat, shapeshifting sorcery, magical potions, interfering apparitions, and cunning coups collide in this fast-paced epic fantasy.
An admiral and his son fight at sea against an evil kingdom of demonic peoples for the sake of their empire. The admiral’s perceptive daughter must uncover a plot to overthrow multiple governments while navigating the rigorous demands of proper comportment in high society. An ancient sorcerer’s naïve, abused prisoner and her semi-feral rescuer must best ancient wizards and other opposition or face certain death. Their stories collide in a magically induced cataclysmic event that could destroy them all.
The audiobook is narrated by John Kelley. He has a lively, pleasant voice and reads for all characters. He consistently changes his voice enough so that it is easy to distinguish between characters during dialogue and follow the storyline. He is also very talented at matching speaking style with character traits. Conceit, nervousness, and bluntness are all relayed effectively through the narration.
Full of fantastic battles, scheming, and adventure, this fantasy does not disappoint. Readers will be charmed by the intriguing characters, romantic entanglements, and witty dialogue. Utilizing multiple, alternating POV, the first-rate writing invokes stunning scenery and makes the reader feel like they are in the midst of every adventure. However, be prepared that there are a few unanswered questions at the conclusion of the novel, presumably to lay the groundwork for another book. All in all, this is a must read story that truly allows you to immerse yourself in another world and leaves you wanting more. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Thank you NetGalley, Titan Books and Greg Keyes for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
April 10, 2023
The Basilisk Throne is my first read my Greg Keyes. The novel is darker than I expected at first, so I would advise readers to look at trigger warnings before reading. It does get lighter as the story moves forward, so it had a nice balance. The story follows multiple realms where conflict is explored where humans in Ophion, Velesa, and Modial are against the inhuman Dreuhhu. There is Alastor Nevelon, his son Crespin, and his daughter Chrysanthe, who all have their own journeys. The characters go through a lot of trauma and turmoil where the reader can follow along with their journey. I do wish there was more expansion into the aftermath into how each deal with everything, though. I do love the narrator who did a great job navigating the story.
The novel is told from different perspectives, which can be tiring as the reader goes from place to place. In this sense, it was like Game of Thrones where there was disconnect, but the reader is aware everything is supposed to come together in some way. There are some Brandon Sanderson vibes to the writing for the characters, which is great at I can see it appealing to Sanderson’s and Martin’s large audiences while still staying true as an original. The plot does take a bit to fully reveal itself, which can be difficult for impatient readers like me. There are multiple ones that come together for the larger story, so it does take a little thinking for the reader to put all the pieces together. While it is not listed as the first in a series on Goodreads, there are possibilities based on the ending. It is not quite a cliffhanger, yet I could see it seamlessly lead into a possible sequel. Overall, this was an intriguing novel and if there is a sequel, I look forward to reading it.
**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Titan Books, for the opportunity to read this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed are completely my own.**
The novel is told from different perspectives, which can be tiring as the reader goes from place to place. In this sense, it was like Game of Thrones where there was disconnect, but the reader is aware everything is supposed to come together in some way. There are some Brandon Sanderson vibes to the writing for the characters, which is great at I can see it appealing to Sanderson’s and Martin’s large audiences while still staying true as an original. The plot does take a bit to fully reveal itself, which can be difficult for impatient readers like me. There are multiple ones that come together for the larger story, so it does take a little thinking for the reader to put all the pieces together. While it is not listed as the first in a series on Goodreads, there are possibilities based on the ending. It is not quite a cliffhanger, yet I could see it seamlessly lead into a possible sequel. Overall, this was an intriguing novel and if there is a sequel, I look forward to reading it.
**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Titan Books, for the opportunity to read this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed are completely my own.**
April 10, 2023
I was given a copy to review via NetGalley and Titan Books. My reviews are always honest and all opinions are my own. #TheBasiliskThrone #GregKeyes #NetGalley #ARCReview #Fantasy #BookReview @netgalley @gregkeyes1 @titanbooks
I became a fan of Keyes with his Elder Scrolls tie-in novels and quickly read most of his other works so when I was approved to get an ARC of his newest work I was more than a little excited. The Basilisk Throne is rather hefty fantasy book. It has all the things I would think fellow fantasy lovers enjoy; sorcerers, dark magic, wars for thrones but also a unique setting in the treacherous water battles. Most definitely a page turner the book does build the plot slowly but I found this added to my curiosity rather than annoying. I wanted or rather needed to know how all these parallel tales fit together.
I particularly liked that a lot of the story focuses on fleets on the water and battles they are facing. It gave an almost pirate vibe to the tale and was a perspective I would not have thought I would enjoy as much as I did. Keyes also cements his narrative in a lot of attacks, wars and general fighting and mistrust that keeps things interesting and reader on their toes to keep track of it all. By no means is this a negative, rather I enjoyed it adding depth to the world.
The characters are all interesting and well balanced, I personally liked Hound and Ammolite the most in terms of characters but all of them are well developed and fit the narrative brilliantly. I also enjoyed the parallel storylines continuing on throughout.
If you are a fantasy lover then this one is definitely worth a read with Keyes brilliant and balanced story telling it keeps you turning pages and gripped right to the end. Add to this a vivid world full of magic and sorcerers and a host of memorable characters this was a brilliant read.
I became a fan of Keyes with his Elder Scrolls tie-in novels and quickly read most of his other works so when I was approved to get an ARC of his newest work I was more than a little excited. The Basilisk Throne is rather hefty fantasy book. It has all the things I would think fellow fantasy lovers enjoy; sorcerers, dark magic, wars for thrones but also a unique setting in the treacherous water battles. Most definitely a page turner the book does build the plot slowly but I found this added to my curiosity rather than annoying. I wanted or rather needed to know how all these parallel tales fit together.
I particularly liked that a lot of the story focuses on fleets on the water and battles they are facing. It gave an almost pirate vibe to the tale and was a perspective I would not have thought I would enjoy as much as I did. Keyes also cements his narrative in a lot of attacks, wars and general fighting and mistrust that keeps things interesting and reader on their toes to keep track of it all. By no means is this a negative, rather I enjoyed it adding depth to the world.
The characters are all interesting and well balanced, I personally liked Hound and Ammolite the most in terms of characters but all of them are well developed and fit the narrative brilliantly. I also enjoyed the parallel storylines continuing on throughout.
If you are a fantasy lover then this one is definitely worth a read with Keyes brilliant and balanced story telling it keeps you turning pages and gripped right to the end. Add to this a vivid world full of magic and sorcerers and a host of memorable characters this was a brilliant read.
October 18, 2023
Das Cover finde ich sehr ansprechend. Mit gefallen die Blätter an der Seite sehr, auch die Illustrationen ist sehr ansprechend, der Titel hat mich neugierig auf die Geschichte gemacht. Die Haptik des Taschenbuches finde ich gut.
Eine Welt, die von einer dunklen Macht beherrscht wird, den Drehhu. Jahrhundertelang saßen sie auf dem Basilisken-Thron und haben alle Kontinente unterjocht und die menschlichen Bewohner brutal versklavt. Doch nun, nach endlosen und brutalen Kriegen haben die drei menschlichen Reiche Ophion, Velesa und Modal die Drehhu in ihr Kernland zurückgedrängt. Sie sind fest entschlossen und möchten sich für einen letzten Angriff zusammenschließen und die Drehhu für immer besiegen. Dies wurde bereits einmal versucht, jedoch waren die Drehhu mit ihren höllischen Waffen und der dunklen Magie zu stark.Doch nun haben auch die Menschen eine Geheimwaffe, werden sie es nun schaffen? In dieser Geschichte gibt es drei sehr unterschiedliche Hauptcharaktere. Alle waren wirklich interessant und facettenreich. Der Einstieg in das Buch in Ordnung, man muss sich ein wenig an den Schreibstil gewöhnen. Die Kapitel haben eine tolle Länge. Die Welt und Ortsbeschreibungen waren sehr detailliert. Im Innenteil des Buches gibt es eine Landkarte, diese hilft zur besseren Orientierung. Die Geschichte war spanend und das Ende hat mir gut gefallen. Ich empfehle das Buch auf jeden Fall weiter.
Eine Welt, die von einer dunklen Macht beherrscht wird, den Drehhu. Jahrhundertelang saßen sie auf dem Basilisken-Thron und haben alle Kontinente unterjocht und die menschlichen Bewohner brutal versklavt. Doch nun, nach endlosen und brutalen Kriegen haben die drei menschlichen Reiche Ophion, Velesa und Modal die Drehhu in ihr Kernland zurückgedrängt. Sie sind fest entschlossen und möchten sich für einen letzten Angriff zusammenschließen und die Drehhu für immer besiegen. Dies wurde bereits einmal versucht, jedoch waren die Drehhu mit ihren höllischen Waffen und der dunklen Magie zu stark.Doch nun haben auch die Menschen eine Geheimwaffe, werden sie es nun schaffen? In dieser Geschichte gibt es drei sehr unterschiedliche Hauptcharaktere. Alle waren wirklich interessant und facettenreich. Der Einstieg in das Buch in Ordnung, man muss sich ein wenig an den Schreibstil gewöhnen. Die Kapitel haben eine tolle Länge. Die Welt und Ortsbeschreibungen waren sehr detailliert. Im Innenteil des Buches gibt es eine Landkarte, diese hilft zur besseren Orientierung. Die Geschichte war spanend und das Ende hat mir gut gefallen. Ich empfehle das Buch auf jeden Fall weiter.
April 4, 2023
Are you feeling like reading Brandon Sanderson but you don't have the time to read dozens of thick books? then I would recommend this book!
The stakes are high and the world is full of mystery and magic. We follow characters who feel like real humans struggling with the war they are thrown into. The magic system is interesting and we get to know it as if we were native to the world the story is set in.
Character perspective switches at a satisfying rate and the pacing is great.
Content warning: Sexual assault and drugs.
Critique I have. Like I write at the start, it's overall vibe is Brandon Sanderson and I personally like this book better than spending an ungodly amount of time reading about every characters mental breakdowns like in Stormlight archives. However this means even though the characters in this books goes through trauma and a lot of if, we don't get a lot of consequences of how our heroes deal with this or get over it.
I honestly enjoy the story being fast paced and get a conclusion without the need to explain everything in existence. But it is still a weakness for a reader who prioritize characters inner-monologue and growth over the story progressing.
The stakes are high and the world is full of mystery and magic. We follow characters who feel like real humans struggling with the war they are thrown into. The magic system is interesting and we get to know it as if we were native to the world the story is set in.
Character perspective switches at a satisfying rate and the pacing is great.
Content warning: Sexual assault and drugs.
Critique I have. Like I write at the start, it's overall vibe is Brandon Sanderson and I personally like this book better than spending an ungodly amount of time reading about every characters mental breakdowns like in Stormlight archives. However this means even though the characters in this books goes through trauma and a lot of if, we don't get a lot of consequences of how our heroes deal with this or get over it.
I honestly enjoy the story being fast paced and get a conclusion without the need to explain everything in existence. But it is still a weakness for a reader who prioritize characters inner-monologue and growth over the story progressing.
April 19, 2025
This book. It’s a beast. I love Greg Keyes’ writing, his character development, and his prose. I love the way he takes so many storylines and weaves them together. At least, that’s what I loved when I read the Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone series.
I think maybe I went into this book expecting something similar and… it’s just not similar. At all. I wanted storylines that tied together, a history that was solidified as I turned pages, and an ending that left no doubt that the story had been heading there all along.
This was anything but. I keep wondering if I hadn’t accidentally picked up book 2 or 3 of a series because THAT is what it felt like. There were so many characters and nations and types of magic that I never fully understood why it was all necessary or what the purpose was. It never tied together in the way I imagined it might.
Someone please tell me I picked up the middle of a series. Keyes is such an inspiration and I hate that I didn’t love everything about this.
I think maybe I went into this book expecting something similar and… it’s just not similar. At all. I wanted storylines that tied together, a history that was solidified as I turned pages, and an ending that left no doubt that the story had been heading there all along.
This was anything but. I keep wondering if I hadn’t accidentally picked up book 2 or 3 of a series because THAT is what it felt like. There were so many characters and nations and types of magic that I never fully understood why it was all necessary or what the purpose was. It never tied together in the way I imagined it might.
Someone please tell me I picked up the middle of a series. Keyes is such an inspiration and I hate that I didn’t love everything about this.
June 2, 2023
The Basilisk throne is the first in a new fantasy series. It can get quite dark, especially from the first chapter and you may need to check out some the TW for this one.
There's a lot of world building in this one, but it doesn't seem to be too overbearing. I really liked the way the different stories were blended together and eventually start of connect. Chrysanthe is sent to the court of the emperor where no one can be trusted. Her admiral father and brother are headed to destroy the Basilisk throne and Hound is a young man who lives within the forest. The characters in this novel are really varied and interesting.
I found it dragged a bit in the middle but picked up once again towards the end. It's generally fast paced and intriguing. I'm really keen to see where this series goes.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an arc in return for an honest review.
There's a lot of world building in this one, but it doesn't seem to be too overbearing. I really liked the way the different stories were blended together and eventually start of connect. Chrysanthe is sent to the court of the emperor where no one can be trusted. Her admiral father and brother are headed to destroy the Basilisk throne and Hound is a young man who lives within the forest. The characters in this novel are really varied and interesting.
I found it dragged a bit in the middle but picked up once again towards the end. It's generally fast paced and intriguing. I'm really keen to see where this series goes.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an arc in return for an honest review.
October 30, 2023
Keyes normally writes series, so I was putting off reading until the next one was out. How surprised was I to find when I finally broke down and read that it was a complete story.
As always, Keyes keeps the action accelerated and doles out information about what the larger stakes are in small increments. This could be a case where mystery box writing works.
There were some unanswered questions remaining at the end, about the origins and powers of certain characters and what made the world the way it is, but it ended fairly well for the main characters. The decadent court where one main character must play investigative politics contrasts with the coming invasion of a hostile alien power by an alliance that is planning mutual betrayal before the battle is even won.
I can easily imagine a few one shot follow ups exploring this world further.
As always, Keyes keeps the action accelerated and doles out information about what the larger stakes are in small increments. This could be a case where mystery box writing works.
There were some unanswered questions remaining at the end, about the origins and powers of certain characters and what made the world the way it is, but it ended fairly well for the main characters. The decadent court where one main character must play investigative politics contrasts with the coming invasion of a hostile alien power by an alliance that is planning mutual betrayal before the battle is even won.
I can easily imagine a few one shot follow ups exploring this world further.
April 14, 2025
This is sooo close to a five star read. There were several places missed by editors, "that" when it was meant to be "than", "coach" instead of "couch." Things like that. But also...this book had A LOT going on, and while that kept it exciting and made it a page turner, the world building was really enjoyable. I would have liked some more time and depth to explore it. The plot twists also needed some more time to cook.
What George R. R. Martin is to killing characters at random, Greg Keyes is to making random people kiss. It became almost comical.
All things considered though I was ENTHRALLED. And I NEED this book to get the recognition it deserves to be sure the next installment gets released (suppose to this year) because right now Goodreads ratings for this book is in the 200s (and it below the 4 star mark) and I don't see it getting any love on Booktok.
What George R. R. Martin is to killing characters at random, Greg Keyes is to making random people kiss. It became almost comical.
All things considered though I was ENTHRALLED. And I NEED this book to get the recognition it deserves to be sure the next installment gets released (suppose to this year) because right now Goodreads ratings for this book is in the 200s (and it below the 4 star mark) and I don't see it getting any love on Booktok.
June 30, 2025
Векове наред демонична раса държи хората в робство. След много битки властта им е ограничена до непристъпният Базилиск. Три империи се обединяват за една последна битка срещу злото, но със скрити намерения. Една морска флота по пътя на битката, млада жена, която трябва да разкрие заговор срещу короната. Един разбойник и млада робиня може би са отговорът на загадките, известни само на магьосник по-древен от всяка нация.
Динамична, притегателна, мистична и също така жестока - това е история, която може както да те омае, така и да те накара да шокира. "Тронът на Базилиск" е епично приключение изпълнено с битки, древни тайни, заговори и опасности. Книга, която не оставя нищо на скуката и те притегля в пътешествие в красиви земи под които спят тъмни сили. За мен лично е едно наистина добро попадение.
Динамична, притегателна, мистична и също така жестока - това е история, която може както да те омае, така и да те накара да шокира. "Тронът на Базилиск" е епично приключение изпълнено с битки, древни тайни, заговори и опасности. Книга, която не оставя нищо на скуката и те притегля в пътешествие в красиви земи под които спят тъмни сили. За мен лично е едно наистина добро попадение.
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